“Stop the Violence” rally in North Jonesboro

Jonesboro, Arkansas – On Saturday, dozens gathered to march through North Jonesboro in response to recent violence in the community and across the country.

According to Emma Agnew, President, and Founder of the North Jonesboro Community Development Corporation, people have become frustrated. “The people here today and many others are just tired of the violence,” Agnew said, “We just want a peaceful, loving community, state, and country.”

One of the people she was referring to was Renee Prunty, who lost her son to an officer-involved shooting.

“You don’t have to accept prison or death as your future,” Prunty said to the crowd.

According to Craighead County NAACP Criminal Justice Chair Shamal Carter, marching alone would not help end the violence. “Our ancestors marched, Dr. Martin Luther King marched, Malcolm X marched,” Carter said, “We’ve had plenty of people march; now, it’s time to push action behind our marching.”

Carter is encouraging people to join the Stop the Violence Coalition to become a voice for their community, saying that “our future depends on it.”

Agnew and Carter are working to start a Facebook group for the coalition. If you are interested in joining, you can contact Emma Agnew at (870) 931-8248.